1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to blast-resistant and collision-withstanding foundations for buildings without basements, for towers, and for towers supporting elevated buildings.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the prior art, buildings without basements are often supported by foundations comprising concrete walls under the perimeter of a building along with piers at selected locations interior to that perimeter. Such foundation walls are often made of stacked precast bricks or building blocks, wherein each brick or block is smaller than approximately 50 centimeters in any canonical direction. And such foundation walls are often supported by concrete footers poured on-site into a trench prepared in the supporting ground. An approximate example of one such foundation system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,591,110 by Lane. Another common foundation for buildings without basements comprises one or more slabs of concrete poured on-site over a graded top-surface of supporting ground. One example of a concrete slab foundation is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,524 by Gonsalves.
Foundations for towers are typically comprised of four concrete pads, or of solid concrete blocks, spaced well apart and placed under respectively four legs of a tower. Anchor bolts set into drilled holes are often used to secure the feet of a tower to its foundation. U.S. Pat. No. 2,184,940 by Cork discloses a tower foundation of widely separated concrete blocks. U.S. Pat. No. 6,557,312 B2 by McGinnis discloses a foundation for a tower wherein the foundation is a radial array of prefabricated buildings connected near their inner corners to each other and needing no fabricated support surface beneath the buildings.
Foundations for towers without guy-wires and that support elevated buildings are usually piers driven or poured deep into the ground. U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,387 by Henderson discloses a pier foundation for supporting a tower, although he does not disclose supporting a building on top of a tower.
The prior art does not disclose a foundation without ground-penetrating support elements and that supports a guard house on top of a tower without guy wires. And none of the prior art is sufficient to withstand ramming attacks by terrorist vehicles or explosive blasts by acts of terrorism. What is needed are foundations that can be quickly and efficiently installed from previously fabricated and ready-to-install elements, without requirements for ground-penetrating support elements, and which can withstand ramming attacks by terrorist vehicles and explosive blasts by acts of terrorism.